Angst Medley
by V the Happy Lurker
Summary: After walking out on Duo, Heero returns to try and start over. But is there a chance that Duo has already moved on? (12; one-sided 52)REVISED '05!
1. Another Rainy Night

Good day (or night…or whatever) to you all. The following is the revised version of a song-fic cycle by yours truly set about a three years after Endless Waltz, so the boys are all around the age of 19. I will admit now that there may be some OOC-ing on the parts of Heero and, later on, Wufei, but that's mostly because I have some trouble portraying them in _dramatic, angsty _fiction without the obvious cliché of making one or both complete bastards. I always try to keep close enough to canon so as not to annoy the 'by-the-book' types who may read this. If I've done anything supremely stupid and/or annoying, just tell me _nicely _and be constructive with any criticism. The first song is "_Another Rainy Night_" by Queensrcyhe. Enjoy the show, folks.

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**Angst Medley**

**Act 1: _Just Another Rainy Night_**

Tenderly brushing a wayward strand of hair off the pale cheek, Heero gazed down at the face of his lover.

Duo murmured softly at the touch, smiling in his sleep.

With a heavy sigh, Heero climbed out of the warm bed, make sure not to disturb the other's peaceful dreams. Dressing quickly, he goes to the closet and pulls out the suitcase he had carefully hidden there a couple of nights earlier. He slipped out of the bedroom and made his way to the door.

Grabbing his keys off the coffee table, Heero hesitated for a moment, then removes his key to the apartment they had been living in for the past year. Hand trembling slightly, he slipped it into a small envelope along with the brief note for Duo and props it up against a photo of them together at their graduation.

"Please forgive me, Duo" he whispers, already feeling guilty for the pain he was about to cause. Immediately, the expression of sentimental regret changes to a mask of cold determination.

_((Don't slam the door, on your way out. ))_

Once again, he is no longer human, but the Perfect Solider. Again the machine with no soul. Without looking back upon the life he once shared with a carefree boy, he pulls on the worn leather jacket, a gift from a now forgotten lover, and walked purposely out to his car.

_((Don't leave without saying good-bye))_

From the bedroom window, Duo watches as the Japanese boy put a suitcase in the back before climbing behind the wheel of his battered car.

_((You leave me wanting…))_

He hadn't bothered to put on anything, just stood naked, his hair falling about his shoulders in loose masses of wave brown that framed an expressionless face. A pair of violet-blue eyes watched the car pull away and speed off into the night. Duo lingered, staring blankly out into the darkened street, then curled up in a ball on the bed.

_((…always leave me wanting more…))_

- 7 months later…-

_-Pah-ring! Pah-ring-_

"Dammit!" Duo abandons the pot of Ramen noodles to grab the receiver. 'This happens every time I'm cooking.' "Hello." he barks roughly.

"It's been a long time, Duo."

The phone nearly falls out of his hand at the sound of voice. "H-Heero?"

"Yes." He pauses. "I…I called to say that I'm sorry."

"For what?" Duo hissed, twisting the end of his braid in his fingers. "For walking out on me? What more is there to say about it? You left. That all there is to it. Besides, I'm not one to dwell on the past, so let's just forget about it."

"I'm coming back."

"Don't bother."

"You have every right not to want me back. All I've been a bastard to you, especially when I left you like that. I fucked up." Heero sighs. "Can you at least find it in your heart to forgive me?"

"I might," Duo whispered softly, after a long silence. "If you'll promise me that you're coming home to stay."

_((Wouldn't that be nice, for awhile?))_

There was an awkward pause.

"Heero, do you promise?"

"I can't promise anything…but I'll try. That's all I can do."

Another uncomfortable silence.

"Alright."

"Thank you. I'll be there soon." Without waiting for a good-bye, he hung up.

Duo put the receiver back, leaning against the counter sighing. He turned just in time to see the torrent of bubbling water and noodles as they boiled over onto the stovetop. "Dammit!"

Hurriedly cutting off the heat, he tries to clean the mess up. Giving up on salvaging dinner, he walks out of the kitchen, crossing the darkened living room.

"Looks like we're getting Chinese tonight." He mutters as he picks up the phone by the couch, quickly dialing up the take-out place. After placing the order, he put the phone down and walks out onto the small balcony overlooking the beach.

_(( Listen, there's a fog horn blowing on the coast tonight…))_

'Why the hell do I put up with that man?' Leaning out on the balcony, Duo watched as the fog rolled over the water. The scent of the ocean wafted up on a slight breeze, moistened by a soft spray of rain. He closes his eyes, smiling as he thought of the time he and Heero had gone out for a late night walk along the beach.

_((Funny how laughter looks like crying with no sound…))  
((Raindrops tastes like tears without the pain…))_

Heero had brought along a blanket and they sat down amid the dune, talking, cuddling, and taking things slowly. Then it started to rain. Instead of rushing back to the apartment, they fell back onto the blanket. He could still hear the soft laugh as Heero pulled him down and kissed him roughly on the mouth.

_(( I'm not much without you, can't leave if I wanted to…maybe that's why you stay around…))_

Rain splattered heavily on the windshield as he tried vainly to start the car again. The engine sputtered, then stalled.

"Kuso!" Exasperated, Heero banged a fist against the wheel. It would be a 18 mile walk, through rain, muck, and God-knows what else to get to the nearest pay-phone and the battery on the cell had long since died. Briefly, he considered just ditching the rusty old Mustang and hiking the other 30 miles to the coast, but thought better of it. But it would be better to spend the night strand in the car than turn up the next morning on the doorstep looking like a drowned rat and making an already worried (and definitely angry) Duo think he'd been in a wreck or something stupid like that.

'God, I hope he understands…'

_((But tonight I'll sit here tending the fire…))  
(( And pace the floor one-hundred times in an hour…))_

'Where the _hell_ is he!' Duo walked back and forth restlessly, braid flicking back and forth nervous like the tail of a cat before it pounces.

The lights were turned down low, the room illuminated by the sputtering flames of set of candles. They had been reduced to almost waxy lumps on a table set for two. The food had gotten there about 9:40. It was now nearly two in the morning.

_((And check the voice-mail for a message you've called…))_

"I should have known better…" Slumping onto the couch next to the discarded phone, Duo rests his head in his hands, holding back the tears. "I should have never expected him to show up!"

Snuffing out the candles, Duo clears the table then moves to cut the porch light out. He hesitates, poised to switch it off.

_((Guess I'll leave the light on, for you…))_

With one last glance at the phone, he turns and heads for the bed.

_((Just another rainy night… ))  
((Without you…))_


	2. Lover Please

Okay, I'm not feeling well, so I have nothing witty or preachy to say. Just an explanation on why this chapter is so late. The main reason is because I just couldn't find a song that worked. Originally, I was going to use the alternate version of Guns n' Roses "Don't Cry", but I couldn't go any further on after the third verse. Then I saw Melissa Etheridge's special on VH1. Being a fan of her work, I watched it and heard "Lover Please". The lyrics fitted this part better than "Don't Cry," so I made the changes. Hopefully, I made the right choice. Oh, and one little side note: If you've read "A Box of Kisses," you may find a little surprise here…

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**Act 2: _Lover Please..._**

_((A shot in the dark, I woke up to find))  
((You had broke all the rules and you changed your mind…))_

Duo opened his, staring out the window. In the distant, he saw the sun starting set into the sea. For about a minute or so he wasn't sure where he was or what time he'd gone to sleep, but then the memory of last night came back with vengeance.

'Why didn't I just tell Heero it's over between us in the first place?' he thought burying his head under a pillow. 'The asshole didn't even have the balls to say it to my face!'

_(( Didn't I love you good? Didn't I love you right?))_

"Well, two can play at this little game!" The pillow bounced off the wall and landed on the other side of the room.

Groggy but full of determination, Duo marched into the bathroom. A quick shower and shave, and was once again the god of Death. He strolled over to the closet and fished out a pair of jeans and a tight black shirt.

"Perfect."

_((Then where are you going dressed to kill tonight?))_

It had been a long drive and Wufei was exhausted. He hadn't really wanted to come to the East Coast, but Sally forced him to take some time off, saying that he was working too hard. When he tried to explain to her that there was no such thing as working too hard, the woman began to lecture him on how work-related stress leads to heart conditions, carpal tunnel, and overall bad social skills. So, reluctantly, he gave in and took a vacation. So far, the only thing he was enjoying was the fact that visiting during the off-season meant annoying tourists were at a minimum.

Driving past one of the worst looking dives he had ever seen on his way to the motel, Wufei happened to catch sight of a familiar black Bronco parked outside. He thought about it for a second, then did a U-turn and pulled up alongside the Bronco.

There was no mistaking it; this was Duo's precious Deathscythe II. The back window, door, and bumper were festooned with faded decals and ragged stickers. Propped up on the dashboard, along side the assortment of resin saints, Mardi Gras beads, and a plastic glow-in-the-dark Jesus, was a black teddy bear with little devil horns. The red satin heart in the middle of its belly had faded to a dark pink.

Wufei smiled silently to himself. 'So, he got it. That must have really made Duo's day…he probably thought it was from _Heero_.' Grimacing at that thought, he marched into the bar.

_((It's the same old tune I have sung before))  
((It's the same old game, just a different score))_

Sitting at the very end of the bar, Duo watched dejectedly as couples danced close together to yet another slow song. He frowned and turned to the bartender.

"Another shot of tequila?" The bartender asked, anticipating his order by refilling his glass.

"Yeah, and keep 'em coming, compadre."

He had barely taken a sip when someone came up behind him.

"Maxwell."

"Hi, Wu" he grumbled, not even bothering to turn around and face him. "Did you drop in to have a drink or do you just have a habit of showing up everywhere I go?"

"It's hard to miss that car of yours. Besides, you're too damn young to be drinking. At least, in the U.S. you are…" Wufei sneered under his breath. "I thought it best to get you home before you go and make an ass out of yourself again."

"Oh, you'd love to see that, wouldn't you?" Duo gulped the shot down and rounded on him. "Maxwell once again sprawling face-first in the floor bleeding, leaving good old Wu to dutifully scrape him up and drag him back to home for a nice long lecture about being drunk…never mind the fact that Trowa was more soused than I was that night."

"It wasn't my place to say anything. That was between Barton and…'

"Barton and who? Quatre?" He nearly fell off the stool laughing. "Wu, I gotta hand it to you about the way you handled that one: I never thought I'd ever see the day you'd surpass yourself in hypocrisy, but, damn, you've really outdid yourself the other night."

"What the hell do you mean by that!"

"One minute, you're bitching about how 'un-manly' Quatre was because he's in love with another guy, then you went and told him to make the first move!" He snickered. "Wufei, the biggest homophobe ever, giving dating advice to one of the gayest guys in the world! Oh, the irony…"

"I don't care who he happens to be sleeping with. I'd have told Winner the same thing even if he'd been moping over some stupid girl. It's the fact that he was acting like a woman about it, just like…"

"I'm doing now." He glared. "That's what you're going to say, isn't it? That it's so womanly of me to go out and drink till I'm senseless. Would it make me more of a man if I decided to just walk out on someone one day, then call them out of the blue, say I'm coming back, and never bother showing up? Yeah, that'd be perfectly alright, wouldn't it Chang?"

He stared at Duo. "Yuy…walked out on you?"

"Surprised? You'd thought that would've been me, didn't you?" Duo turned back to the bar. "He had a suitcase already packed in the closet. No huge fight; no grand good-byes; no storming out in a rage; no angsty spiels about being the perfect soldier in a world of peace. He just got out of the bed, went to the closet for the suitcase he'd packed _weeks _earlier, left the key by the door, and drove off."

"I didn't know. I'm sorry…"

"Don't be."

"Shut up and let me finish!" Wufei snarled. "Just because he left doesn't give you the right to go out and get drunk. I've seen the way you get, Maxwell, but the next man you pick a fight with probably won't be satisfied with just giving you a bloodied nose. There are easier ways to kill yourself."

"Good idea, Wuffie." He laughed coldly. "I'd get a gun and blow my brains out, but I want to have a good looking corpse. But hanging myself is too cliché. In fact, it's been done to _death_ already! Maybe driving off a cliff? But then that ruin DS II, so I couldn't do that. What about slitting my wrist…nah, that's too _girly_, right Wu? How 'bout drowning? Does jumping off a bridge work for you? Or how 'bout a really tall building? Wait, I've got it! I should take a shit load of pills and go to bed. It'd save me waking up alone again."

"That isn't funny."

Duo stopped laughing. "Who said I was joking?"

Suddenly, Wufei grabs him by the collar and twists him around. "Don't you dare talk like that!"

"Why not? It's not like anyone cares about me."

"Are you so sure about that Maxwell?" He whispered, letting him go.

_((If there was just one thing I could call my own))  
((It would be your love that's sinking like a stone))_

Wufei turned to leave.

"Wait." Duo stood shakily and walked over to him.

"Why?"

"Would…would you mind giving me a ride to my apartment?"

He thought for a moment. "Not at all, but I'm going to stay with you tonight, alright?"

For the first time that evening, Duo smiled. "Sure."

_((Answer my pray…))_

"Dammit!" For the twelfth time that day, Heero had got the answering machine. It had been bad enough having to spend two hours waiting on a tow truck and then another ten to get the car fixed, but this was driving him crazy. He could understand why Duo was pissed off, but he should have picked up the phone by now, even if it was just to scream at him. This could only mean one of three things:

1. Duo had gone somewhere,

2. He was passed out,

or…

3. He had someone else there…

Heero sighed. As much as he hated to think about it, he realized that Duo could be, and probably was, seeing other people. It'd been several months and he knew very well that Duo was the kind to crave affection. He had to consider the possibility that Duo might have given up on him and find another lover. And yet, Heero couldn't stand the idea of _his _Duo being with someone else.

Maybe he really was in love, but then again, it might be pride. Sometimes, he wondered whether it was both.

Digging out another 35 cents, he took the receiver back in hand and dialed again.

_((And answer the phone…))_

Wufei looked over to Duo. "Is this the right place?"

He nodded, still slumped down in the seat. The whole trip hadn't taken more than fifteen minutes, the entire time Duo just sat there staring at the bear. When they had pulled up in front of a row of squat two-story apartments, he reached up and took it off the dash, still staring at it like he had never seen a teddy bear before.

_((Think twice about it, baby…))_

'Damn, he must really be out of it…' Sighing, Wufei got out and walked around to the passenger side. "Come on," He opened the door and reached in to help Duo as he clambered out still clutching the bear. "Which apartment is yours?" he asked, holding him up.

"Second floor…on the left."

As they climbed up the stairs, Duo tripped and nearly pulled them both down.

_((…and he holds you, like I want to…))_

"Dammit! Watch it, Maxwell!" Wufei growled, dragging the braided boy to his feet.

"Sorry." He leaned heavily against Wufei, fumbling with the keys before finally opening the door.

_((He gives you what I want to…))_

Wufei lead Duo to the couch and let him sit down before walking into the kitchen to make some coffee. With a disgusted groan, Wufei looked at the dishes moldering in the sink and the overflow of take-out boxes before finally digging up a reasonably clean mug. As he handed it over, Duo looked up at the Chinese boy with a funny little smile.

"Thank you."

"You don't have anything to thank me for." Came the usual grumble. "I would've dragged you out of that bar whether you wanted me to or not."

"That's not what I'm talking about." He held up the bear. "I wanted to say thanks for the Valentine."

Wufei blinked. "What?"

"Don't act like you don't know." The smile widened. "Almost every Valentine's Day has sucked for me, but this really made me happy. So, I'm saying thank you for doing something incredibly sweet."

"Well, erm…" The room suddenly began to feel uncomfortably warm. "When I saw that bear, it reminded me of you. It was just a coincidence the package arrived on Valentine's."

Duo giggled. "Whatever you say, Wu-_bear_."

"Don't call me that." he griped, face burning.

"Awah…" The braided boy hummed sleepily. "You too damn cute when you blush."

For a moment Wufei was stood there in stunned silence, then marched stiffly into the kitchen, flushed with anger and embarrassment. "I can't believe you sometimes, Maxwell! All I did was send you one little gift and you take it as a sign that I'm hitting on you! I was just trying to do something nice for a friend, yes, _friend_! That's all!"

_(( He'll take it, like I want to…))_

He started filling the sink and piling in a few dishes as he ranted.

"Maybe it was a bit much to make all those flowers…and people do send chocolate as a romantic gift most of the time, but that wasn't what I meant at all!" Furiously, he scrubbed away. "Okay, so I did time it to arrive on Valentine's. I thought that you'd be sensible enough not to get the wrong impression, but, once again, you've proven to me that you're an overly sentimental fool!" He snorted and shoved the last dish into the drainer. "Well, Maxwell, what do you have to say to that!"

There was an odd silence. Wufei looked toward the couch.

Duo was stretched out over the arm, clutching the bear and murmuring softly in his sleep.

_(( He'll break it…))_

"I don't know why I bother sometimes…" A half-hidden smile crossed Wufei's lips as he gently tucked a blanket around the sleeping boy. "Good night, Duo." He was about to make himself a little pallet on the floor when a shrill ring rented the air.

The braided boy grumbled and shifted restlessly as the ringing continued.

Grabbing the caller ID off the table, Wufei noticed it was from a gas station payphone. 'Dammit! Who the hell could be calling from a pay-phone at this hour?'

_((Why must you reject me?))_

After the fourth ring, someone picked up.

_((Why can't you protect me?))_

"Finally." Heero sighed in relief. "Hello, Duo? I'm really sorry about last night, but my car broke down. Honest!"

He braced himself for the inevitable shouting, but there was nothing.

"I understand you're upset, but please: say something."

Silence.

_((Lover don't…))_

"Look, I said I'm sorry! What more do you want from me?"

Still no reply.

_((Lover-lover please…))_

"Oh, so we've given up on screaming at me and are into the silent treatment now?" He growled quietly. "Alright, I made a mistake. But it's not like I planned on having to have that damn car overhauled or the cell dying on me, so just stop with this shit!" He took a breath, then in a calmer monotone, continued. "Listen, I know you must be pissed as hell, but can't you find it in your heart to give me one more chance?"

_((Lover, stop…))_

There was a click as the phone hung up.


End file.
